THE PULSE - U.S. REGISTERED HOLSTEINS THE WORLD'S PERFECT COW - Holstein Association
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THE PULSE
Winter 2021 • Holstein Association USA, Inc.
U.S. REGISTERED HOLSTEINS
®
TH E W ORL D’S P E R F E CT CO W
The Pulse is proudly sponsored by
President’s Message
WE PLAN TO HOLD ELECTIONS AND TO GATHER
W hile we continue to operate in a virtual environment
largely devoid of in-person meetings, plans
are underway to hold an in-person National Holstein
electronic means. If that situation
comes to fruition, we will
follow the spirit of the delegate
Convention at the Lancaster Marriott & Convention process, the guidance of the
Center in Lancaster, Pa., from June 19 to 24, 2021. bylaws, and the statutes of the
How that meeting unfolds will be a fluid situation. By State of New York, which is
all projected accounts, even if we meet in person, our where Holstein Association is
annual gathering will look different when compared to legally incorporated.
previous renditions. That certainly will be the case when Again, it’s our plan and hope to
it comes to Junior programming and events. have an in-person meeting.
As for the Adult Convention and Association leadership, This past November, we were
nominations are now underway for elections to the able to hold an in-person board
Holstein Association USA board of directors. There will meeting in Hartford, Conn., to conduct business. It
be two open seats. wasn’t easy. Each director sat at their own 2-foot
John Burket will have served two full terms, and that by 6-foot table and each of us wore masks . . . two
makes the Region 2 seat serving Holstein breeders in additional directors joined virtually. Due to the COVID-19
Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, and restrictions on the East coast, only three top Holstein
West Virginia an open position. The same holds true leadership posts from Brattleboro could appear in
for the at-large director position held by Dale Drendel. person, with other Holstein staffers joining us by Zoom.
I want to personally thank both John and Dale for their To be candid, it turned out to be the most productive
outstanding service . . . especially with the added meeting in my eight years on the board. I’m glad so
seventh year to all board terms due to the pandemic. many forged ahead to gather those two days, despite all
In the Region 3 and Region 7 elections, incumbents the hurdles.
Steve Moff of Ohio and Dwight Rokey of Kansas are Once the pandemic lifts, Association leadership
both eligible for re-election. By all accounts, both men plans to get out and meet with members as much
plan on running for a second term, and I also thank as possible. Many of you who work closely with our
them for serving a fourth year of their first term during state associations know that may still take a few more
these challenging times. months. Like the National Association, many states were
The election process kicked off with the January 6, 2021 forced to make tough decisions.
Nominating Committee meeting chaired by the
Association’s immediate past president, Boyd States impacted, too
Schaufelberger. As he pointed out, we are starting with The California Holstein Association canceled its state
a clean slate this year. Those individuals who declared convention. The Wisconsin Holstein Association also
their candidacy for the 2020 elections, which were canceled its annual adult gathering and postponed
canceled due to the pandemic, will need to go through elections until 2022. The Pennsylvania Holstein
the nomination process anew. That would simply require Association postponed its state convention until
those individuals to update nomination documents and 2022 and will try to host most junior contests yet this
once again declare their candidacy. year. The New York Holstein Association transformed
Recognizing that circumstances have greatly changed its senior convention into a 100% virtual event.
for many of us due to the pandemic, I am aware of Meanwhile, the Ohio Holstein Association canceled its
one regional and one at-large candidate from the annual convention, and the Iowa Holstein Association
2020 nomination process who have taken a pass on postponed its junior gathering until a later date due to
running this time around. That means we definitely need COVID-19.
qualified members who have a desire to serve their Indeed, the past 12 months have been anything but
fellow breeders. normal. Those of us in state and national leadership
March 1, 2021 is the deadline to declare for the are grateful to you, our members, for extending us the
elections. necessary grace to work through these trying times.
What about contingency plans?
Should the pandemic continue in its current form and
prevent an in-person annual meeting, Association
leadership will work with legal counsel to hold an
election by either mailed paper ballot or verifiable Corey Geiger, President
Holstein Association USA, Inc.
2
CEO's Message
AMERICA
LOVES DAIRY!
W hile much has been said and written about the
trials and tribulations of 2020, and the challenges
that face us this year, in this column, I’m going to focus
From everything I’ve seen, fluid
milk sales increased not only
during the initial stock up at the
on the positives that came about in the dairy world start of the COVID-19 crisis, the
as a result of the pandemic. Although final 2020 dairy escalation of sales continued
consumption and sales figures were not available at throughout the year. In August it
press time, it is clear that milk was one of the staples was reported year-to-date fluid
consumers turned to during the pandemic in 2020. milk sales were up for the first time
in many years.
“Cheese sales gained 15% over 2019 The Milk Processor Education
Program (MilkPEP), whose charge
levels during the same time period,
is educating consumers and increasing consumption
and butter was up a whopping 30%. of fluid milk, has become re-energized by the
The resurgence of baking in our uptick in milk production. MilkPEP reinstituted the
iconic “Got Milk?” tagline nationally to a whole new
homes had much to do with the generation of milk drinkers.
fantastic increase in butter sales.” Yin Woon Rani, CEO of MilkPEP stated, “I’ve been
so inspired by how people have creatively embraced
milk this year. From whipping Dalgona coffee to
running a mile with a glass of milk in hand, today’s
TicTok-ers are finding more ways to connect with
milk. All the milk love inspired us to re-imagine “Got
Milk?” for today’s social first generation. The re-
imagination of this iconic campaign embraces in an
iconic line as a fresh start for our industry.”
In March through August, dairy sales in the retail
sector were up 20%. Whole milk, organic milk, and
lactose free milk sales were up 7%, 9%, and 18%
respectively. Meanwhile, cheese sales gained 15%
4
over 2019 levels during the same time period, and butter reached 653 pounds per person in 2019, up from its low
was up a whopping 30%. The resurgence of baking in point of 535 pounds per person in 1974.
our homes had much to do with the fantastic increase in As we look back in history, U.S. dairy consumption
butter sales. peaked during
Any way you World War II. In
slice it, COVID-19 1942, U.S. dairy
highlighted "The importance of fluid milk in our consumption was
American diets hasn’t been more obvious in 851 pounds per
consumers’ person.
love of dairy. In years. For many households, milk
Let’s take
addition to the quickly became the number advantage of the
dairy products I
mentioned earlier,
one must have and was growth in dairy
consumption that
as of July 26, considered more important fell in our lap in
2020, sales of than other staples like 2020 and see if we
cream were up
22%, sour cream bread, eggs, and vegetables." can get back to
1942 levels!
17%, ice cream
and sherbet sales It should be
were up 10%, possible because
half-and-half 8%, cottage cheese 4%, and yogurt 3%. in 1942, the population of the United States was just
The importance of fluid milk in our diets hasn’t been 134 million people. Today we have 330 million mouths to
more obvious in years. For many households, milk feed in the United States alone.
quickly became the number one must have and was We have far more delicious, nutritious varieties of milk
considered more important than other staples like and dairy
bread, eggs, and vegetables. For those of us who enjoy products than
drinking milk daily, 80% of it is consumed in our homes. we’ve ever had
Alan Bjerga, Senior Vice President of Communications before, and
for the National Milk Producers Federation, stated, advertising,
“At the retail level, it’s been one of the bright spots for a social
difficult year. It shows the importance of the product for media, and
the consumers. It shows increased dairy consumption promotional
at home, and that people are using dairy more for opportunities
their own meals, and hopefully this will be something that were not
that lasts.” imaginable
79 years ago.
I couldn’t agree more, and with the momentum we’ve Let’s seize the
now established, let’s see how much more of the moment and maximize the opportunity we’ve been given
beverage market share milk can gain in 2021! There’s to increase fluid milk and other dairy product sales this
lots of room for growth. year and into the future.
Prior to last year, U.S. milk consumption had declined
43% since 1975 and on a per capita basis, 28% since
2000. In 2019, U.S. milk consumption dropped 2%.
Even so, the overall trend in consumption of dairy
products has been positive over the past 45 years. John M. Meyer, Chief Executive Officer
The milk equivalent consumption (on a milk-fat basis) Holstein Association USA, Inc.
Ty Hildebrandt
Hildebrandt Family Farms
8 p.m. EST Monday, Feb. 8
Sponsored by Merck Animal Health
Missed the show? Watch it later on @HolsteinUSA or our website, www.holsteinusa.com.
5
A TALE OF TWO COWS
Registered Holsteins® build a foundation for the future at Maple Downs Farms II
I n 1990 a 12-year-old boy, eager to increase his
Registered Holstein® herd, took out a youth loan
for $5,000 from the Farmer’s Home Administration.
Registered Holstein pride
The Lloyd family credits Registered Holsteins for the
As part of that loan, he purchased 14 Registered continuation of their multi-generational dairy farm.
Holstein heifers from his agriculture teacher’s father Without them, Jason says he does not think his family
for $300 per head. would be dairy farming. “My stepmother Denise is the
first one to the farm every morning, and if it wasn’t for the
The young man who purchased those heifers is Jason registered cow, I don’t think she’d be here,” Jason said.
Lloyd, whose family has been farming in Schoharie
county New York for over 100 They appreciate the
years. Jason’s father David marketability of Registered
Lloyd, a third generation Holsteins, and Maple Downs
Registered Holstein breeder, genetics can be found in
started renting Maple Downs barns and show rings across
Farms II in 1974. Today it is the country and around the
owned by David, his wife world. The opportunity to
Denise, and Jason. Jason’s be involved in special cows
brother Greg Lloyd and such as MD-Delight Durham
Greg’s wife Sheri are also Atlee have helped keep the
involved in the operation. farm – and their love for
Registered Holsteins – going
One of the Registered strong. “In the history of
Holstein calves purchased the farm, I would say Atlee
with the youth loan went and getting involved in the
on to be the dam of Maple- Adeen family was huge,”
Downs Linjet Ginny, a three- Jason said.
time 93-point cow that is now
Classification is another
pictured on the farm sign
highlight of dairy farming
at the end of the driveway.
for the Lloyd family, and
Many of her descendants
they enjoy working together
are still on the farm today
to get their cows ready.
and have seen show ring
In addition to the family
success.
members involved, Maple
Pictured on the farm sign Jason Lloyd stands with Maple-Downs D Back Addie, an EX-91 cow Downs Farms II also has
next to Maple Downs who goes back to MD-Delight Durham Atlee. Addie was recently the four full time employees and
first place Junior 3-Year-Old and Reserve Intermediate Champion at
Linjet Ginny is MD-Delight the Mid-East Fall National Holstein Show.
four part time employees.
Durham Atlee, an iconic “We take passion in
cow in the Holstein breed who was named the 2005 classification,” Jason said. “We always wash and clip
Unanimous All-American Senior 3-Year-Old and Reserve for classification, it makes us feel good as a team.”
Intermediate Champion at World Dairy Expo and the Maple Downs Farms II is home to 125 milking cows
2010 Holstein International Global Cow of the Year. and 150 head of youngstock, including several boarded
Atlee, who Jason owned along with Mike Heath and animals. To help manage their herd, they utilize Holstein
Rick Allyn, was also flushed and produced several COMPLETE, EASY ID, classification, and genetic testing
prominent sons and daughters including Maple-Downs-I through Holstein Association USA.
G W Atwood.
There is no doubt both of these incredible cows earned Beyond the farm
their prominent spot on the farm sign and made a
significant impact on the Maple Downs Farms II herd. The passion the Lloyd family has for the dairy industry is
“Currently of the 275 Registered Holsteins on this farm, evident both on and off the farm. David and Denise play
over 200 of them either go back to MS Kingstead Chief an active role in the milk marketing board of Agri-Mark
Adeen, through Atlee or Aneeda or to Linjet Ginny,” and Cabot Creamery Cooperative, where their milk is
Jason said. sold. Greg and Sheri are also involved as Young Farmer
Cooperators on the milk marketing board.
6
Jason’s dairy industry engagement includes serving as “The whole farm was flooded so it was complete
the second vice president for the New York Holstein devastation. Hutches gone, super hutches gone, every
Association and as a New York State Show committee piece of equipment,” Jason recalls. “The craziest things
chairman. Additionally, he is on the Holstein Association that transpired from all of that was the couple hundred
USA National Judges List. people that were here helping.”
“This is a huge opportunity, and it’s because of national For close to two weeks, fellow dairy farmers housed and
Holstein I have this opportunity,” Jason says. “I am milked the Lloyd family’s cows. Just 13 days after the
on a national judges list and have been able to go to flood, cows were being milked on Maple Downs Farms II
countries like Ecuador, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, again. Two months later, Jason received a phone call
and Peru. I have been able to promote our genetics asking if they still wanted to host the New York State
in these countries, as well as realize that U.S. sires Holstein picnic, which had previously been planned to
dominate the registered industries in these countries.” be held on their farm the following July.
No matter where Jason is “I talked to my stepmother
across the country or around “I want it to be a place the rest of Denise and she’s like
globe, he enjoys being ‘absolutely let’s host the
surrounded by Registered our fellow breeders within the state picnic. That gives us eight or
Holsteins and their breeders. nine months to complete the
“The passion of seeing and country feel free to stop in and cleanup.’ And we did it, we
registered cattle, working with take a look at our genetics.” hosted the picnic. We were
the breeders, and knowing completely recovered and
that the people who show — Jason Lloyd cleaned up and everything,”
cattle have a passion for the Jason said.
registered industry, whether Now, almost ten years after
it’s in this country or others,” is Maple Downs Farms II overcame the challenges caused
what makes judging shows enjoyable for Jason. by the flood, the Lloyd family is still looking towards
the future of their farm. They are excited to continue
Hope after Hurricane Irene to improve the genetics of their herd and share it
August 28, 2011 is a date Jason Lloyd knows off the with anyone who is passionate about the Registered
top of his head. That day, Maple Downs Farms II was Holstein cow.
dismantled by a massive flood caused by Hurricane Jason says, “I want it to be a place the rest of our fellow
Irene. As the flood waters came rushing in, cows swam breeders within the state and country feel free to stop
over the top of the barn gate and down the stream in and take a look at our genetics, and hope they own a
behind the farm to survive. Maple Downs cow at some point.”
Jason, who was exhibiting cattle at the New York State
Fair at the time of the flood, was one of the first people
back into town when the flood waters started to recede.
He arrived home to see equipment, vehicles, and small
buildings moved to completely new locations. The Lloyd
family’s ag bags were floating down the river and their
corn fields were flattened, taking away most of their
feed supply for the next year.
Pictured on the farm sign are MD-Delight Durham
Atlee (left) and Maple Downs Lin Jet Ginny (right),
two noteworthy cows who made a significant
genetic impact on the Maple Downs herd.
7
C e l e b r a t i n g 30 Years
Progressive Genetics Herd Award
Sixteen outstanding herds — recognized with the
Progressive Genetics Herd Award every year since it began.
Given to the top 500 herds in the country, this prestigious award is based
For the past on TPI level. To be eligible for this award, herds must be state and national
association members, enrolled in Deluxe or Premier TriStar, and participate in a
30 years, Holstein classification program.
“Our members understand laying a solid foundation of genetics as a cornerstone
Association USA has of their dairy farms is the key to taking their performance and profitability to
the next level,” says Lindsey Worden, Executive Director of Genetic Services
honored outstanding at Holstein Association USA. “This separates our members from other top
managers across the country, and the Progressive Genetics Herd Award honors
Registered Holstein® those herds excelling in the genetic progress arena.”
A remarkable 16 herds have received the Progressive Genetics Herd Award
herds with the every year for the past 30 years. This shows exceptional sustainability and a
proven commitment to the genetic progress of the Holstein breed among these
Progressive Genetics breeders. The high performance these herds have sustained year after year is a
testament to their dedication and passion for Registered Holsteins.
Herd Award. The following 16 herds have been awarded the Progressive Genetics Herd
Award all 30 years. Congratulations to these breeders on their well-deserved
accomplishment! To view a full list of Progressive Genetics Herd Award
recipients for both current and past years, visit www.holsteinusa.com
and click on Awards, then Herds.
30 Year Progressive Genetics Herd Award Recipients
Prefix Herd Name and Family Name Location Avg. CTPI
BOMAZ Bomaz, Inc., The Zwald Family Hammond, WI 2508
DARITA The Richard Family Goshen, IN 2338
DE-SU De Su Holsteins LLC, The Meyer Family New Albin, IA 2455
FUSTEAD Brian & Wendy Fust Wausau, WI 2257
GIL-GAR Stelling Farms, Inc., The Stelling Family Millville, MN 2457
JALODA Jaloda Farms, The Sheffield Family Wellington, OH 2204
LATUCH Roger & David Latuch Rockwood, PA 2275
LIRR Lirr Farm, The Nigh Family Viroqua, WI 2232
MAINSTREAM Randy W. Kortus Lynden, WA 2285
O-BEE Gaylon, Gary & Steve Obert Dakota, IL 2248
RALMA Alfred & Mark Schmitt Rice, MN 2328
REGANCREST Regancrest Holsteins, LLC, The Regan Family Waukon, IA 2289
TEEMAR Mark P. Paul Luxemburg, WI 2440
VEAZLAND Veazland Farms, The Veazie Family Corinna, ME 2210
WALHOWDON Walhowdon Farm, Inc., The Patch Family Lebanon, NH 2213
WELCOME Welcome Stock Farm, LLC, The Peck Family Schuylerville, NY 2458
14
BREEDER PROFILE
A Thirty Year Legacy
Stelling Farms, Inc.
S telling
Farms, Inc.
is one of just
It also gives
them a
blueprint
sixteen herds of how the
to receive genetics of
Holstein their herd and
Association the Holstein
USA’s breed have
Progressive improved over
Genetics the past three
Herd Award decades. “We
each of the 30 can definitely
years since see the
the program’s advances in
inception. The the breeding
continued that have gone
excellence and Henry, Sophie, Sawyer, and Brent Stelling on their farm in Millville, Minnesota. Stelling on the past 30
sustainability Farms, Inc. has received the Progressive Genetics Herd Award every year it has been given. years,” Brent
of the Stelling’s said. “The
herd and other animals are so
Progressive Genetics Award winners is truly amazing. much more sound and ready to work,” Jake added.
The first Holsteins arrived on the Stelling’s farm in Their 300-cow herd is milked three times a day and
Millville, Minnesota by chance. “My parents went up to averages around 100 to 105 pounds of milk per cow per
northern Wisconsin to see some of the relatives. They day, with a 4% butterfat and 3.2% protein test. This is a
had Holsteins and we had Shorthorns,” Henry Stelling result of their emphasis on good genetics, cow comfort,
recalled. “They got into a card game, and my dad was a and high-quality forages. “We’ve seen things progress
character, so they traded two Shorthorn heifers for two genetically and production wise with the cows every
Holstein heifers.” year,” Brent said.
Henry’s parents were so impressed by the new additions Tools for Success
they decided to transition to an entirely Holstein herd.
“I remember when those Holsteins calved, my gosh, In addition to production, the Stellings breed for
they made so much more milk,” said Henry, who was good feet and legs and udders and take health traits
about ten years old at the time. into consideration. “The health traits have been
Today the century farm is operated by Henry’s son and phenomenal,” Brent said. “The DPR, somatic cell, and
nephew, Brent and Jake, and their families. Henry, a productive life, they really do work.”
retired large animal veterinarian, remains involved on the Henry says he uses genetic testing and reports from
farm and manages their breeding and genetics program. Holstein Association USA to help guide breeding
decisions. “As far as mating is concerned, you can only
A Focus on Genetics change three things in each generation,” Henry explains.
“So, you look through the report and find out what three
The Stellings bought their first Registered Holsteins®
things are majorly lacking, and then you find a bull that
and began doing embryo transfers in the early 1980’s.
will accommodate that.”
Since then, they have sold embryos to countries around
the world including Japan and Germany, heifers in top The Stelling family has seen exceptional genetic
sales throughout the United States, and bulls to A.I. progress in their herd since the first Registered Holsteins
companies. arrived many years ago. Their goal for the future is
to continue advancing their herd’s genetics while
Receiving the Progressive Genetics Herd Award each year
producing a great product for consumers and caring
reinforces to the Stellings the time, effort, and investment
for the land and animals. “We just like working with the
put into improving their herd’s genetics is worth it.
cows and taking care of the land,” Brent said.
“Investment being reproduction, genomic testing, semen,
and all the stuff that you put towards that,” Brent explains.
15
“We wouldn’t be where we
are at today, in terms of milk
production or genetic profile,
without the help of the
Holstein Association.”
– Ken McCarty, McCarty Family Farms
EYES ON THE HORIZON
McCarty Family Farms finds opportunity, value with U.S. Registered Holsteins
I n 1914 on a farm near Sugar Run, Pennsylvania, the
McCarty family set in motion what would become a
longstanding tradition of milking dairy cows. Over the
“Traditionally, McCarty Family Farms has been a market-
based dairy,” Ken says. “As we saw an increasing amount
of volatility in the ag markets, we knew our business wasn’t
years, the McCarty’s would be recognized for their herd’s financially strong enough to withstand that volatility.”
outstanding milk production, their progressive nature Deciding to seek out new market options, in 2010 they
and leadership. met with the milk procurement team at Danone North
Now more than a century later, the same pioneering America. The McCarty’s farm vision and the company’s
vision were immediately aligned, Ken explains. Their
spirit and entrepreneurial savvy have provided great
shared goals were aimed toward stability, transparency,
opportunity for a new generation of the McCarty family.
continuous improvement and collaborating to make things
“My parents, Tom and Judy McCarty, realized that our better every day.
family’s future to maintain a presence in the agriculture
industry was going to be very limited,” says Ken McCarty, “It’s really pulled back the veil of where our milk goes, what
one of four brothers active in managing the operation. our milk does, what our milk goes into — and ultimately, how
“In the early 90s, they began to look for other areas we can make our milk better to fit those needs,” Ken says.
of opportunity. In 1999, we moved and settled here in On their Rexford, Kansas, location, the McCarty’s built a
northwest Kansas.” milk condensing plant. It’s responsible for taking in milk
The wide expanse of Kansas wheat fields provided an from the outlying farms, separating it into the skim and
ideal backdrop for growing their business. McCarty Family cream portions, and then evaporating a large percentage
Farms today includes five dairies in three states — which of water from the skimmed portion.
are home to around 22,000 cows — that generate a total “That reduces our environmental impact in terms of trucks
1,125,000 pounds of milk per day. over the road to move our product, but beyond that, it
keeps water over top of the ground from which it came,”
Essential to achieving this progress has been finding the Ken says. “In northwest Kansas, water conservation, water
right partners, at the right time. reclamation and water stewardship is really critical.”
16
As their relationship with Danone North America The McCartys began working closely with Holstein
continued to grow, the McCarty’s began looking to the Association USA to identify the best cows in the herd,
next horizon, the next opportunity. They set their sights allowing them to chart a course for each third of their
on Ohio and the chance to help meet demand in one of animals, based on quality.
Danone North America’s milk sheds. “We believe that working with the Holstein Association
“Luckily, we met some like-minded brothers to become is ultimately an investment in our future,” Ken says. “The
our partners in Ohio,” says Clay McCarty, Ken’s brother. best way that we felt we could achieve our goals was
“They brought expertise on the cropping side, the land- by working with people who were more knowledgeable
based side, and gave us a unique opportunity to build a in that area than we were, and that led us to the
new dairy within about 20 miles of Danone's largest plant.” Holstein Association.”
The result was MVP Dairy near Celina, Ohio, which With a closer eye toward genetics and performance,
stands for the McCarty/VanTilburg Partnership. They McCarty Family Farms is at a point today where they can
began operations in November 2018. begin flushing animals and marketing them, Ken explains.
An avenue they never would have realized without a
Combining the strength of two, fourth-generation farming
relationship with Holstein Association USA.
families, the dairy is among the most state-of-the-art in
the country. “We wouldn’t be where we are at today, in terms of milk
production or genetic profile, without the help of the
Partners in progress Holstein Association,” Ken says.
When they first started with Danone North America,
MVP Dairy milks around 3,800 cows three times per day
72 pounds of milk per animal was their standard result.
on a 80-stall DeLaval rotary platform. Production of this
Today at MVP Dairy, cows are generating nearly 103
scale requires a well-trained crew, and team members at
pounds of milk.
MVP take pride in what they do.
“To see a 30 pound increase in your animals over less
“We are a large facility, but we are a family-owned
than an eight to ten year span, I know we are doing
facility,” says MVP Dairy General Manager, Brock Peters.
something right,” Clay says. “Genetically speaking, our
“We all have children, and there are members of the cattle have just gotten better. We see it not only on the
community working for us. We want our business to be production side, we see it in health events and in every
viable for long into the future, and that takes a lot of effort aspect of cow care — it’s almost surreal at times.”
and care for the animals.”
To continue to thrive into the next generation and beyond,
A top priority when building MVP Dairy was also the McCarty’s will remain focused on the ideals that
showcasing dairy production with the larger community brought them where they are today: always improving,
and consumer audience. MVP’s Dairy Learning Center always looking ahead, and always providing the best
provides just that in an engaging, interactive way. possible care for their animals and the environment.
“There’s a lot of love and effort that goes into making a “On the weekends when the dairy is quiet and I can just
cup of yogurt that you’re buying on the store shelf, and spend time with high-quality, well-cared-for dairy cattle
we hope that visitors to the Dairy Center realize what it — that’s just a great day,” Ken says. “Registration helps
actually takes,” Brock says. us achieve continual improvement for our cows, a more
At the center of this story is the Registered Holstein® cow. traceable cow herd, and a more traceable food supply
Brock explains the breed works well for them because chain. We think those things are going to be valuable for
Holsteins provide the most versatility in terms of what us to market milk in the future.”
they consume and how they convert that into milk
volume and components.
“We’re very pleased with the output of the animals,” Brock
says. “They are easy to care for, and they are built to last.”
Registration drives value
Both McCarty Family Farms in the West and MVP
Dairy in the East are moving toward 100 percent
Registered Holsteins.
“Our great grandfather, grandfather and father all
believed in good genetics and good cattle,” Clay says.
“When we got to the point of growth in Kansas, that was
one of our main goals — breeding and identifying good
cows. We wanted that to be part of our brand.”
To achieve their goal, an investment in genetics
was essential.
“We’re very pleased with the
“We can only control so many factors that go into making output of the (Registered Holsteins).
milk on our farms, but the cornerstone of that milk They are easy to care for, and
production is ultimately, the cow,” Ken says. “Without
investing in her future and a better cow, we’re going to they are built to last.”
reach a ceiling in our level of milk production.” – Brock Peters, MVP Dairy General Manager
17You can also read
